Clutch.



140.344.443. y' PATENTBD FEB.19, 1907. J. o. DAWSON. GLUTGH.

APPLIUATIDH FILED APR. 30,1908.

vaccomp anying UNITED STATES PQTENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. DAWSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CLUTCH.

No. 844,443. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application iie April 30, 190B. Serial No. 314,430.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. DAWSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, State et Missouri, have l invented certain new and useful Improvel side wall of the box and serves as a thumbl piecediy means of which the clutch may be released.

A spring 21, which, as shown, is in the Jform of a yoke-plate apertured to loosely receive the post 1l, has a ringer 22, which sets through an aperture 23 in the plate 1,57 the opposite end 2A ol" the spring bearing against the cover 14 of the box, and as the spring re.- acts between this cover and the clutch-plaie 15 the biting edge 17 ol the latter is forced into engagement with the rod 11.

W'hen the clutch-block is used on a vertical post, as shown, gravity may, if desired, be depended upon to bring the clutch meinber into engagement with the rod. The spring when used may take any desired form, though that shown is simple to manufacture, durable, and not liable to displacement.

As the clutch-plate is somewhat inclined, one end resting upon the bottom of the box 13 and the other extending through an aperture in the side wall thereof, the box may be moved downwardly upon the rod 11. The biting edge 17 being at the upper face oi the plate 15, movement of the box in the opposite direction is prevented by the firm grip of this edge upon the post 1l, the strain being exerted through the plate to the odge ol' the box 13, against which the latter impinges. Slight upward pressure upon the end 19 of the clutch-plate will swing it about ments in Clutches, of which the following is a speciiication and which are illustrated in the drawings, forming a part thereof.

'lhe invention relates to a clutch in the form of a block or box adapted to run on a rod and while sliding freely in one direction firmly grips the rod when pressed in the opposite direction.

'lhe invention consists in a box apertured, i preferably, on its axis to fit upon a rod, a i clutch-plate housed within and controllable from without the box, and a spring intended to throw the clutch in its engaging position.

rlhe invention is serviceable in any situation in which it may be desired to mount a clutch-block upon a rod. It is well adapted for use on and is shown in connection with loose-leaf tiles, the accompanying drawings l representing, in

Figure 1, a detail sectional view of such a l file, the clutch being shown in central lon il tudinal section; Fig. 2, a perspective of t e 1L clutch as ap lied to a rod; and Figs. 3 and 4, details ot t e clutch-plate and spring, respectively.

As showing one use to which the invention maybe applied there is represented in Fig. 1 the cint of engagement of its end 18 with abase-plate 1() of a loose-laat` file, Jfrom which the box as a pivot, moving the biting edge plate rises a post 11, upon which the sheets out of engagement with the post.

12 to be filed are impaled In applying the clutch-block to a lilcner. 'Ihe clutch is mounted on the rod 11 and is free to slide downwardly thereupon, but holds against upward movement until urposely released. By pushing the clutchloclr down upon the sheets the latter may binder there may or may not be used on top of the sheets to be bound a runner-board or cover, as shown at 25.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination, a casing having aliued be bound with as tight a grip as may be del a iertures in opposite walls, an apcrtured sired. 1 clutch-plate extending obliquely across the in the usual manl The clutch is in the 'form of a box 13, havline of the apertures and having a fixed bcaring a cover-plate 14, which is secured in any ing at one end against one of the apertured desired manner, as shown by being provided walls of the casing, and a spring-plate engagwith an annular channel in its periphery, the ing the clutch member and bearing against upper edge of the side wall of the box being the opposite apertured wall of the casing.

forced into this channel. The clutch-plate 2. In combination, a casing having alined 15 is in yoke form, having an elongated apcrapertures in opposite walls a clutchplate ture 16 for loosely receiving the rod 11, one having a fixed bearing against one of the wall, as 17, of this aperture being undercut apertured walls of the casing and extending to form a biting edge. The inner end 18 of obliquely across the casing and having an the clutch-plate rests against the side wall of aperture in line with the wall-apertures and the box 13 adjacent its bottom, and the outer a socket between such aperture and its l'ree end 19 projects through an aperture 2() in the end, and a spring-plate having a tongue en- IOO gaging such socket and an aperture in line" lowerv apertured to run on the rod, and a with the named canga;perturwand4 bearing `clufnh'member"within.the casing for gripm at its free end against the wall of the casping the rod. ing opposite that against which the clutch" 5 plate bears.

3. In cnmbnation,f a base, a. rod rising. l Witnesses: from the base, a follower' runningnn the rod, ROB'I. H. CONE, Jr.

chambered casing independent of the fol`v F. W'. RISQUE.

JAMES C. DAWSON. 

